Energy News Digest for February 19, 2010

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  Mason PUD 3 SEPA Appeal Hearing Wrapped Up Thursday

•  Avista to Seek Increase - Rate Hikes Would Take Effect by Early ‘11

•  BPA Will Hold Port Orford Meeting on Transmission Line

•  Tri-City Leaders Threaten Yucca Mountain Nuke Waste Repository Lawsuit

•  Energy Northwest, WA, Revenue Refunding Bonds Rated ‘AA’

•  Montana - Highwood Plant Closes in on Loan Contract

•  Montana - Consultants Say City of Great Falls Should Raise Power Rates

•  Outage Caused by Plane Crash Reveals Weak Link in Palo Alto’s Power Grid

•  Ohio Utility Hopes to Recoup Bulb Battle Costs

•  Staff at Southern Cal Nuclear Plant Fear Retaliation

•  Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Nuclear Revival Bound to Fail

•  Careful, Kids - High Voltage

•  Oregon, California Sign Deal Aimed at Ending Klamath Water Wars

•  Pacts Signed to Help River & Salmon

•  Klamath Dam Agreement Signed

•  Oregon’s Klamath Basin Deal Helps Farmers & Fish

•  Spring Chinook Fishing Seasons in Columbia River Finalized

•  Downer: Spring Chinook Arrive

•  Olympic Peninsula Streamflows May be “Average” This Summer; Unlike Rest of State

•  Seattle Times Editorial - Science & Policy Changes Are Needed to Rescue Puget Sound

•  Sewer Tunnel Hits a Snag - King County Exec Declares Emergency in Brightwater Tunneling

•  11 West Coast Lawmakers Oppose Feinstein on California Valley Water

•  California Water System Overhaul Struggling, Poll Finds

•  Simpson Lumber Considering Cogenerating Biomass Facility on Shelton Waterfront

•  Oregon Is First US Site For A Wave-Power Farm

•  Study Says Tall Wind Turbines Could Make More Power

•  California Governor Gets Bill to Expand Solar Energy Sales

•  Obama’s Federal Government Can Weatherize Your Home for Only $57,362 Each

•  Philippines ‘Bracing for the Worst’ in Drought

•  Stimulus Funds for Clean Energy Largely Unspent

•  Many Believe in Going Green; Fewer Actually Do It

•  College Students Impose Fee on Themselves to Go Green

•  Permeable Paving: Good for the Environment & Your Landscape

•  Microsoft, Yahoo Deal Gets Regulators’ OK

•  Grand Rapids Seeks Google Fiber Network

•  Stimulus Grant to Expand Broadband Access in Wisconsin

•  2,400 Agencies, Companies Are Cyberattack Victims

•  Judge Allows Class Action Against Internet Provider – Service called “slow & spotty”

•  Google Pops Past Coke as World’s No. 2 Most Respected Brand

•  You Want Broadband at Home? Fine, British Telecom Wants $70,000

•  Our National Broadband Plan Is a Bland, Boring Mess

•  Former FCC Boss Michael Powell Still Hallucinating Competition

•  Herbal Hubris - Olympia Mayor Pro Tem Joe Hyer Arrested

•  Texas Man Angry With IRS Crashes Plane into Office

•  El Nino Expected to Influence Pacific NW Weather through April

•  Copper Rises as Investors Confident in Demand

•  Billy Frank Jr. Featured on State Library Reading Poster

WORD OF THE DAY

Flexuous • \FLEK-shuh-wus\ • adjective - *1: having curves, turns, or windings 2: lithe or fluid in action or movement

The background music was intoxicating; a throaty, wild tenor saxophone wailed its song to the night, wrapped in velvet tendrils of flexuous cigarette smoke that wound their way to the ceiling of the small jazz bar, mixing with the scattered eighth notes that swam their way into the night from the small, but energetic music combo.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Mason PUD 3 SEPA Appeal Hearing Wrapped Up Thursday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1400-pud-3-sepa-appeal-hearing-wrapped-up-thursday

Avista to Seek Increase - Rate Hikes Would Take Effect by Early ‘11 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/feb/19/avista-to-seek-increase/

BPA Will Hold Port Orford Meeting on Transmission Line (The World, Bandon, OR)

http://theworldlink.com/articles/2010/02/19/news/bpa_will_hold_meetings_919.txt

Tri-City Leaders Threaten Yucca Mountain Nuke Waste Repository Lawsuit (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011127891_apwahanfordnuclearwaste1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Energy Northwest, WA, Revenue Refunding Bonds Rated ‘AA’ (Business Wire)

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050609005401&newsLang=en

Montana - Highwood Plant Closes in on Loan Contract (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_d2ca7fa4-1d22-11df-b364-001cc4c03286.html

Montana - Consultants Say City of Great Falls Should Raise Power Rates (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100219/NEWS01/2190317

Outage Caused by Plane Crash Reveals Weak Link in Palo Alto’s Power Grid (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14430879

Ohio Utility Hopes to Recoup Bulb Battle Costs - $772,000 to be passed along to customers (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/19/financial/f075910S70.DTL&feed=rss.business

Staff at Southern Cal Nuclear Plant Fear Retaliation (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2483630~Staff_at_SoCal_nuclear_plant_fear_retaliation.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Nuclear Revival Bound to Fail

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/feb/19/nuclear-revival-bound-to-fail/

Careful, Kids - High Voltage (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100219/NEWS0107/2190401/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon, California Sign Deal Aimed at Ending Klamath Water Wars (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/oregon_california_sign_deal_ai.html

Pacts Signed to Help River & Salmon (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/us/19klamath.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Klamath Dam Agreement Signed (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6755-klamath-dam-agreement-signed/

Oregon’s Klamath Basin Deal Helps Farmers & Fish (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011117250_apusklamathdams.html?syndication=rss

Spring Chinook Fishing Seasons in Columbia River Finalized - Amid potential record return of 559,900 spring Chinook (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2011122348_spring_chinook_fishing_seasons.html?syndication=rss

Downer: Spring Chinook Arrive (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://www.tdn.com/lifestyles/article_1a079a6a-1d09-11df-90db-001cc4c03286.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympic Peninsula Streamflows May be “Average” This Summer; Unlike Rest of State (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/5535

Seattle Times Editorial - Science & Policy Changes Are Needed to Rescue Puget Sound

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011121836_lance19.html?syndication=rss

Sewer Tunnel Hits a Snag - King County Exec Declares Emergency in Brightwater Tunneling (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/King-Co-Exec-declares-emegency-in-Brightwater-Treatment-Plant-tunneling-84739532.html

11 West Coast Lawmakers Oppose Feinstein on California Valley Water (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2548329.html

California Water System Overhaul Struggling, Poll Finds (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/19/BATV1C3PRC.DTL&feed=rss.news

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Simpson Lumber Considering Cogenerating Biomass Facility on Shelton Waterfront (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1401-simpson-considering-cogenerating-biomass-facility-on-shelton-waterfront

Oregon Is First US Site For A Wave-Power Farm - Some still uncertain that the ocean holds source of clean energy (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20100217/waveenergy17_st.art.htm

Study Says Tall Wind Turbines Could Make More Power (Denver Business Journal)

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/02/15/daily52.html

California Governor gets bill to expand solar energy sales (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/19/BA7V1C3THE.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Obama’s Federal Government Can Weatherize Your Home for Only $57,362 Each (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/02/obama-stimulus-weatherization.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Philippines ‘Bracing for the Worst’ in Drought (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/world/asia/20phils.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Stimulus Funds for Clean Energy Largely Unspent (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0218/Stimulus-funds-for-clean-energy-largely-unspent

Many Believe in Going Green; Fewer Actually Do It (AOL News)

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/survey-americans-believe-in-going-green-they-just-dont-do-it/19362078

College Students Impose Fee on Themselves to Go Green (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_14421545

Permeable Paving: Good for the Environment & Your Landscape (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/diggin-it/2010/0218/Permeable-paving-Good-for-the-environment-and-your-landscape

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft, Yahoo Deal Gets Regulators’ OK (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/18/BUIK1C3MQ2.DTL&feed=rss.business

Grand Rapids Seeks Google Fiber Network (West Michigan Business Review)

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/02/grand_rapids_seeks_google_fibe.html

Stimulus Grant to Expand Broadband Access in Wisconsin (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2010/02/15/daily46.html

2,400 Agencies, Companies Are Cyberattack Victims (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011123099_hacked19.html

Judge Allows Class Action Against Internet Provider – Service called “slow & spotty” (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/19/24872.htm

Google Pops Past Coke as World’s No. 2 Most Respected Brand (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/02/15/daily85.html

You Want Broadband at Home? Fine, British Telecom Wants $70,000 (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/you-want-broadband-at-home-fine-british-telecom-wants-70000.html

Our National Broadband Plan Is a Bland, Boring Mess - Can it be saved by last minute changes? (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Our-National-Broadband-Plan-Is-A-Bland-Boring-Mess-106979

Former FCC Boss Michael Powell Still Hallucinating Competition (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Former-FCC-Boss-Michael-Powell-Still-Hallucinating-Competition-106976

GENERAL NEWS

Olympia Mayor Pro Tem Joe Hyer Arrested - Accused of twice selling marijuana to confidential informant (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1143275.html

Texas Man Angry With IRS Crashes Plane into Office (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011116440_apusplanecrashtexas.html

El Nino Expected to Influence Pacific NW Weather through April (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.koinlocal6.com/mostpopular/story/El-Nino-Expected-To-Influence-NW-Weather-Through/NBdW6HAYO02YLljvTvwbCw.cspx

Copper Rises as Investors Confident in Demand (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/18/financial/f130615S55.DTL&feed=rss.business

Billy Frank Jr. Featured on State Library Reading Poster (Indian Country Today)

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northwest/84781602.html

DIVERSIONS

Burqas? No, Bacon Burgers Are France’s New Cultural Battleground

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/0218/Burqas-No-bacon-burgers-are-France-s-new-cultural-battleground

Cleveland Deemed Most Miserable City in USA

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61H5WN20100218

Boy Rescued from Church Drainage Pipe

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22604098/detail.html

Neighbors Mistakenly Loot Woman’s Home - Neighbors Feared Worst After Woman Hospitalized

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22610124/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Sonny Rollins - My One & Only Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8ow7lqXo4

Energy News Digest for February 18, 2010

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Officials Sign Klamath Agreement

·         Okanogan PUD board eyes rate increases

·         Grant County PUD Approves Rate Increases

·         Portland General Electric Asks Oregon for 7.4 Percent Electrical Rate Increase

·         Avista Credits Lower Wholesale Costs for 2009 Earnings

·         Federal Nuclear Loan Guarantees - Southern Co.’s Lobbying Draws Complaints

·         Columbian Editorial - Nuclear Power? Yes

·         Why Obama’s Nuclear Bet Won’t Pay Off

·         Utility Executives like Nuclear Power - Climate Science, Not So Much

·         San Antonio Utility Reaches Nuke Plant Settlement

·         Small Reactors Generate Big Hopes

·         NY Times Editorial - A Reasonable Bet on Nuclear Power

·         Google Wins FERC Approval to Trade US Electricity

·         Palo Alto: Plane Crash Knocks out Power to Businesses, Schools, Homes

·         Natural Gas Tumbles on Large Supplies

·         Abundant Steelhead Run Benefits More Than Anglers

·         Oregon - Group Eyes Ban on Commercial Gillnets

·         Bureau of Land Management Looks to Audubon to Map Sage Grouse Habitat

·         NY Times Editorial - Closing the Carp Highway

·         Scientists Still Sparring Over Future of Pacific Northwest Snowpack

·         State Could be Near Drought

·         Many Demands in Wenatchee River Basin –

·         Dirty Water: Pet Waste Leads to Water Concerns in Clark County

·         Avista Pushes Back Reardan Wind Farm Construction

·         Avista Shifts Timing for Acquisition of Renewable Resources

·         Biomass Generally Emits Lower Pollutants

·         Wave Power Park Forming Off Coast of Oregon

·         Maine Residents Push Back Against Wind Power Farms

·         3TIER Launches Next Generation Wind & Solar Prospecting Tools

·         Peninsula School District Pursues Energy Savings

·         Three Steps to Put Homeowners on Path to Energy Efficiency

·         UN Climate Chief Quits, Leaves Talks Hanging

·         Virginia Files Challenge to E.P.A. Greenhouse Gas Regulation

·         Cantwell Aims to Energize Green Jobs Creation

·         A Future Where the Whoosh of Passing Cars Power Highway Lights

·         Environmental Advocates Are Cooling on Obama

·         5,000 Customers Use Grant PUD Fiber

·         Major Internet Event Is Afoot at the North Mason Chamber

·         Washington Could Give Microsoft $100M Annual Tax Cut

·         Utah - Cities of UTOPIA Announce a Formal Bid for Google Fiber Communities

·         Qwest Thinks 100 Mbps Is ‘Just a Dream’ - And for Qwest users, maybe it is

·         Networks Desperately Seek Data Capacity

·         Check out the FCC’s Useless Broadband Competition Map

·         Facebook Spokesman Defends Coal-Powered Data Center

·         Report Ranks San Juan County Healthiest in State

·         Washington D-O-T Seeking Input on Alternatives for Belfair Bypass

·         Video Update - Rep. Finn talks about jobs, biomass, and the Belfair Bypass

·         Washington Governor Wants $605M in Taxes for Deficit

·         State House Approves I-960 Suspension

·         Salazar, Gregoire Tout Stimulus Projects

WORD OF THE DAY

Hogshead • \HAWGS-hedd\ • noun – 1: a large cask or barrel 2: any of various units of capacity; especially: a United States unit equal to 63 gallons (238 liters)

The dim light from a guttering oil lamp cast a gleam across the watery eyes of the town’s most tipsy resident. He had fallen down a hole near his favorite tavern and landed directly in the storage basement, where he was surrounded by the looming shadows of over a hundred hogsheads of beer. “Am I in heaven,” he sighed. “Or will I be saved from this hole when the barkeep comes down for refills. Either way, I’m a winner!”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Officials Sign Klamath Agreement (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/02/15/daily36.html

Okanogan PUD board eyes rate increases (Omak Chronicle, WA)

http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n100217a.shtml

Grant County PUD Approves Rate Increases (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/17/grant-pud-approves-rate-increases/

Portland General Electric Asks Oregon for 7.4 Percent Electrical Rate Increase “…A residential customer using 900 kWh would have a monthly bill of just over $101…” (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/pge_asks_oregon_for_8_to_9_per.html

Avista Credits Lower Wholesale Costs for 2009 Earnings (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/feb/18/avista-credits-lower-wholesale-costs-2009-earnings/

Federal Nuclear Loan Guarantees - Southern Co.’S Lobbying Draws Complaints (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011107116_apusnuclearplantlobbying.html?syndication=rss

Columbian Editorial - Nuclear Power? Yes: It’s time to let solid science guide this clean energy source out of its doldrums

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/feb/18/nuclear-power-yes/

Why Obama’s Nuclear Bet Won’t Pay Off (Time Magazine)

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1964846,00.html

Utility Executives like Nuclear Power - Climate Science, Not So Much (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/utility-executives-like-nuclear-power-climate-science-not-so-much/

San Antonio Utility Reaches Nuke Plant Settlement (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011111094_aptxnuclearpowersettlementtexas.html?syndication=rss

Small Reactors Generate Big Hopes (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703444804575071402124482176.html

NY Times Editorial - A Reasonable Bet on Nuclear Power

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/opinion/18thur2.html?th&emc=th

Google Wins FERC Approval to Trade US Electricity (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-18/google-wins-ferc-approval-to-trade-in-u-s-electricity-markets.html

Palo Alto: Plane Crash Knocks out Power to Businesses, Schools, Homes (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14419271

Natural Gas Tumbles on Large Supplies (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011112866_apoilprices.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Abundant Steelhead Run Benefits More Than Anglers (The Lagrande Observer, OR)

http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Features/Outdoor/Recreation/Abundant-steelhead-run-benefits-more-than-anglers

Oregon - Group Eyes Ban on Commercial Gillnets (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100218/OUTDOORS/2180323/1034/SPORTS/Group-eyes-ban-on-commercial-gillnets

Bureau of Land Management Looks to Audubon to Map Sage Grouse Habitat (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011104919_apwysagegrousemapping1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

NY Times Editorial - Closing the Carp Highway

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/opinion/18thur4.html?th&emc=th

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Still Sparring Over Future of Pacific Northwest Snowpack (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/scientists_still_sparring_over.html

State Could be Near Drought (Sequim Gazette, WA)

http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/article.exm/2010-02-17_state_could_be_near_drought

Many Demands in Wenatchee River Basin - Storage projects under review but no quick or easy solutions on how to ensure water supply (Wenatchee World)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/18/background-many-demands-in-wenatchee-river-basin/

Dirty Water: Pet Waste Leads to Water Concerns in Clark County (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/84669522.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Avista Pushes Back Reardan Wind Farm Construction “…It really doesn’t pencil out at this time…” (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/feb/17/avista-pushes-back-reardan-wind-farm/

Avista Shifts Timing for Acquisition of Renewable Resources - Company remains among greenest utilities with 60 percent renewable generation (PR Newswire)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Avista-Shifts-Timing-for-prnews-1158101088.html?x=0&.v=1

Biomass Generally Emits Lower Pollutants (Smithfield Times, VA)

http://www.smithfieldtimes.com/index.php/news/25-top-stories/200-biomass-vs-coal

Wave Power Park Forming Off Coast of Oregon (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/02/wave-power-park-forming-off-coast-of-oregon/

Maine Residents Push Back Against Wind Power Farms (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011112169_apmewindpushback.html?syndication=rss

3TIER Launches Next Generation Wind & Solar Prospecting Tools (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/3tier/news/article/2010/02/3tier-launches-next-generation-wind-and-solar-prospecting-tools?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Peninsula School District Pursues Energy Savings (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/17/peninsula-school-district-pursues-energy-savings/

Three Steps to Put Homeowners on Path to Energy Efficiency (Daily Journal of Commerce)

http://www.djc.com/news/en/12014999.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UN Climate Chief Quits, Leaves Talks Hanging (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011112831_apclimatedeboerquits.html?syndication=rss

Virginia Files Challenge to E.P.A. Greenhouse Gas Regulation (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/virginia-files-challenge-to-e-p-a-greenhouse-gas-regulation/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Cantwell Aims to Energize Green Jobs Creation (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/17/02-18-10-cantwell

A future where the whoosh of passing cars power highway lights (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2010/02/a_future_where_the_whoosh_of_p.html

Environmental Advocates Are Cooling on Obama (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/science/earth/18enviros.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

5,000 Customers Use Grant PUD Fiber (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/02/17/news/doc4b7c6a5d36365258730681.txt

Major Internet Event Is Afoot at the North Mason Chamber (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/17/major-event-afoot-nm-chamber/?partner=RSS

Washington Could Give Microsoft $100M Annual Tax Cut (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/194750.asp?source=pimail

Utah - Cities of UTOPIA Announce a Formal Bid for Google Fiber Communities (BusinessWire)

http://www.sys-con.com/node/1289423

Qwest Thinks 100 Mbps Is ‘Just a Dream’ - And for Qwest users, maybe it is (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Thinks-100-Mbps-Is-Just-A-Dream-106940

Networks Desperately Seek Data Capacity (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G3EY20100217

Check out the FCC’s Useless Broadband Competition Map (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/02/12/check-out-the-fccs-useless-broadband-competition-map/

Facebook Spokesman Defends Coal-Powered Data Center (All Facebook)

http://www.allfacebook.com/2010/02/facebook-spokesman-defends-coal-powered-data-center/

GENERAL NEWS

Report Ranks San Juan County Healthiest in State (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011104447_apwahealthycounties.html?syndication=rss

Washington - 2010 Health Outcomes Map (Mason is 37^th)

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/washington

Washington D-O-T Seeking Input on Alternatives for Belfair Bypass (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1393-d-o-t-seeking-input-on-alternatives-for-belfair-bypass

Video Update - Rep. Finn talks about jobs, biomass, and the Belfair Bypass (Washington House Democrats)

http://newsroom.housedemocrats.wa.gov/fred-finn/rep-fred-finn-rsquo-s-legislative-video-update/

Washington Governor Wants $605M in Taxes for Deficit (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011110820_apwaxgrgregoiretaxes2ndldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

State House Approves I-960 Suspension (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011116398_960taxes18m.html?syndication=rss

Salazar, Gregoire Tout Stimulus Projects (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011110237_apwarecoveryactprojects4thldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Celebrating Birthday, Oregon Man Gives His Business to Employees

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100218/BIZ/702189953/-1/rss03

Town Bans Drinking At St. Paddy's Parade

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22600037/detail.html

Dead' Woman Moves Arm At Funeral Home

http://www.kirotv.com/health/22591864/detail.html

Beatles’ Abbey Road May be Up for Sale

http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/22578203/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles - Abbey Road medley (Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g61dNM08Y10